Photos and the City

Author: Ursula Schmitz

Whitby Harbour

After a long day at the beach in Saltburn and photographing a bride & groom at Danby Castle I was ready for a little trip down to Whitby.

I boarded the bus in Saltburn in direction of Scarborough and already this through the stunning North Yorkshire moors was an amazing experience!

I had planned to visit Whitby Abbey but on the way through the harbour, I saw several boat trips and just had to take two – one through the harbour and then another one on the old Lifeboat along the coast. I do recommend both!

Whitby is a fishing town on the coast of North Yorkshire. The earliest known settlement was in 656 named Streanæshealh, when Oswy, the Christian king of Northumbria, founded the first abbey.

Whitby was a fishing settlement until the 18th century when it developed as a port and centre for shipbuilding and whaling. Trading the locally mined alum and the manufacture of Whitby jet jewellery.

Fishing still seems to play an important part, fresh fish was offered everywhere. And then there where all the people along the harbour and the coast trying to catch crayfish with some kind of cord. Lots of them seemed to be very successful and had filled buckets.

The River Esk flows due North through the centre of the town dividing it into East and West Sides, linked by the renowned ”swing-bridge”.

Whitby isn’t only known for its crayfish and the abbey, but also for its famous explorer Captain James Cook, the very first Anglo Saxon poet Cædmon and from Bram Stocker´s “Dracula”!

“This is a lovely place. The little River Esk runs through a deep valley which broadens out as it comes near the harbour… The houses of the old town are all red-roofed and seem piled up one after the other anyhow…Right over the town is the ruin of the Abbey, a noble ruin of immense size. Between it and the town is another church, the Parish one, round which is a big graveyard, all full of tombstones. It descends so steeply over the harbour that part of the bank has fallen away, and some of the graves have been destroyed.” (“Dracula” Bram Stocker 1859)

James Cook was born near Middlesbrough and moved later to Whitby to become a trainee with a local shipping firm. He joined the Royal Navy and two of the ships he used for his expeditions were built in Whitby. Today there is a small replica of the HMS Endeavour offering boat trips along the coast and another replica is moored in the harbour.

The Old Lifeboat – I choose that one for my second boat trip. Luckily both trips were only 3Pounds each.

The Old Lifeboat

The “Mary Ann Hepworth” went on service on April 11th 1938 and served until 1974 when a new lifeboat started its duty.

Barry Snedden, a former crewman of the old lifeboat and still working as a lifeguard along the coast of Whitby, bought her in 1988, brought her back to Whitby and restored her to her former glory.

Barry definitely has fun doing his boat trips! And he has many stories to tell, you don´t want to miss this!

03/10/2019
Saltburn by the sea

Goodbye York and hello Saltburn-by-the-sea! This stunning little sea resort is just a short train ride from York, getting out of the train you smell & taste the salty air and instant relaxation will set in!

I arrived right in time for a little heatwave and spend the day exploring the endless beach and having my first swim! So refreshing!

Saltburn by the Sea

Saltburn’s original settlement at the North Yorkshire coast was just a couple of houses and the Ship Inn where the smugglers and the local fishermen met.

In the 19th century, the Pease family developed Middlesbrough as an industrial centre and after finding ironstone the Stockton & Darlington Railway and the West Hartlepool Harbour and Railway Company developed routes. By 1861 the railway reached Saltburn.

In 1858, while walking along the coast path towards Old Saltburn to visit his brother Joseph in Marske, Henry Pease saw a prophetic vision of a town arising on the cliff and the quiet, unfrequented and sheltered glen turned into a lovely garden. The Pease family owned Middlesbrough Estate and had control of the S&DR, and agreed to develop Henry’s vision by forming the Saltburn Improvement Company (SIC).

Land was purchased from the Earl of Zetland, and the company commissioned surveyor George Dickinson to lay out what became an interpretation of a gridiron street layout, detracted from by the railway which ran through the site. With as many houses as possible having sea views, the layout was added to by the so-called Jewel streets along the seafront—Coral, Garnet, Ruby, Emerald, Pearl, Diamond and Amber Streets, said to be a legacy of Henry’s vision. (Wikipedia)

My lovely B&B was in Emerald Street and had the best view of the sea from the balcony.

The Saltburn Cliff Lift is one of the oldest water-powered funiculars worldwide – it was built to bring people down (and up) the very steep cliffs to promenade (opened in 1869).

Pearse developed Saltburn by the sea as a mixture of a seaside resort, trading place and housing for his workers.

Today Saltburn still is a lovely resort and not as busy as Whitby or Scarborough. It was quite hot during my stay but I always found a nice empty spot on the endless beach.

The city has some lovely independent shops and café houses.

The view down “my” street – Emerald Street. I stayed in an amazing B&B with Ruth and her trusty four-legged companion Ralph who had won my heart within seconds! Ralph is the friendliest spaniel and will keep you company during breakfast or whenever you want him to!

01/10/2019
Castle Howard

It´s just a one-hour bus ride from York to the stunning Castle Howard in the Howardian Hills and you´ll enjoy the ride looking at the beautiful scenery. And it will save you some money, with showing your bus tickets you´ll save 2£ on the entrance to Castle Howard.

It was the day of the Castle Howard Triathlon and sometimes (or quite often) I met some runners along the way around the Castle grounds. Very politely they said “Thank you” for every cheering them on.

I started in the walled garden and could have stayed there the whole day – such a whimsical place!

Castle Howard, which was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and building started in 1699 and it took about 100 years until the house was finished. More than 145 rooms house a magnificent art collection includes ancient sculptures, old masters and works by Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough. Castle Howard still is a private residence of the Howard family. But open to the public since 1952.

Vanbrugh’s design evolved into a Baroque structure with two symmetrical wings projecting to either side of a north-south axis. The crowning central dome was added to the design at a late stage, after building had begun. (Wikipedia)

A large part of the house was destroyed by a fire which broke out on 9 November 1940. The dome, the central hall, the dining room and the state rooms on the east side were entirely destroyed. Antonio Pellegrini’s ceiling decoration the Fall of Phaeton was lost when the dome collapsed. In total, twenty pictures (including two Tintorettos and several valuable mirrors) were lost. The fire took the Malton and York Fire Brigades eight hours to bring under control. (Wikipedia)

Some of the rooms were rebuilt and restored, Pellegrini’s Fall of Phaeton was recreated in the dome. Some rooms in the first floor were superficially restored in 2008 for the filming of “Brideshead Revisited” and now house an exhibition about the house before the big fire.

The blaze began as a chimney fire in the south-east corner of the South Front, and swept westerly through the building.

Fanned by strong winds, the fire destroyed rooms in the basement, principal and upper levels, as well as the dome, which collapsed into the Great Hall.

That the damage was not more extensive was thanks to the fire service, who eventually brought the blaze under control, and to the girls of Queen Margaret’s School, Scarborough, who had been evacuated to Castle Howard and were able to salvage some of the contents. (Castle Howard)

The South-East Wing has only been restored externally and remains a shell inside.

Castle Howard was actually considered to become “Downton Abbey” but then seemed to be too known for “Brideshead Revisited”, a TV show from 1981 and then the film remake in 2008.

But even so, Highclere Castle became the real “Downton Abbey” Castle Howard starred in numerous movies and TV shows: “Lady L”, “The Buccaneers”, “Barry Lindon”, “Death comes to Pemberly”, “The spy with the cold nose” and many more!

Castle Howard Gardens

Castle Howard is set within 13.000 acres of landscape within the Howardian Hills.

There is a large formal garden immediately behind the house. The house is prominently situated on a ridge and this was exploited to create an English landscape park, which opens out from the formal garden and merges with the park. (Wikipedia)

Crossing the routes of the runners I took an extensive walk through the garden up to the Temple of the Four Winds and back though the forrest towards the lake. There are great views of the house from all directions. And it was nice to get away from the crowds a bit.

The most recognisable piece of sculpture at Castle Howard, the Atlas Fountain sits at the centre of the South Parterre and is visible from much of the house. The fountain was commissioned by the 7th Earl in 1850 from the landscape gardener William Andrews Nesfield; the sea gods that surround Atlas were carved by the sculptor John Thomas and transported from London by railway. In 2010 it underwent major restoration work. (Castle Howard)

The Temple of four winds

Designed by Vanbrugh but remained unfinished until 1738 when Francesco Vassalli decorated the temple inside.

There is a cellar underneath the temple, used by the servants to prepare food. Originally the temple was used for reading and refreshments.

Back at the house, it was also time to catch the bus back to York and enjoy another drive through the scenery.

24/09/2019